Behold...this. Now, what, going on three days in the making?
Decided to take on @fluffytuffles’ Ultimate Fancast Challenge, and in true me fashion I had to do something to go with it.
Click for full view. Read more for list format and brief explanations here and there.
-Decided to make this in the style of one of my favourite souvenir brochures, complete with Understudy/Alternate spread page - if I were a real mad-man I would have written out the little bios for everyone, too, but honestly this already took *way* too long and my head hurts - maybe I will come back to that part ;)
-In this speculative cast, almost every cast member has their own understudy/alternate rather than having a handful of understudies/understudy roles playing different parts etc. etc. - this is both a result of me being indecisive and also because I do what I want. Think of it in the lines of traditional Korean musical theatre casting, where most principal leads have at least two individuals casted and rotated through performances.
-Please note that several of these performers have passed away or are currently too old/retired to play the parts indicated - I am aware of this. This is strictly based in dream casting and the blanket understanding that it exists in a bubble of reality.
CAST:
Munkustrap:
Jack Rebaldi (Main) (Act like you’re surprised, I dare you)
Keith Bernardo (Understudy)
Old Deuteronomy:
Ken Page (Main)
Gordon Bovinet (Understudy)
Grizabella:
Laurie Beechman (Main) (I have never heard a “Memory” more heartwrenching and actually emotionally gutting than Laurie Beechman’s, both in voice and circumstance, and I will not be swayed on this)
Ruth Jacott (Understudy)
The Rum Tum Tugger:
Gino Emnes (Main)
David Hibbard (Understudy) (Man I miss goofy rockstar Elvis Tuggers)
Mr. Mistoffelees:
Mark John Richardson (Main)
Akihiro Hanebuchi (Understudy) (Mark only *slightly* edged him out and I’m not exaggerating)
Mungojerrie:
Dane Quixall (Main)
Hugo Riveros Delporte (Understudy)
Rumpleteazer:
Bonnie Langford (Main)
Kristi Mancini (Understudy)
Skimbleshanks:
Ross Finnie (Main) (Again, act surprised)
Lee Greenaway (Understudy)
Jennyanydots:
Joanna Lee Martin (Main)
Lorraine Graham (Understudy)
( Yoshiko Hattori was also under heavy consideration)
Gus the Theatre Cat:
Sir John Mills (Main 1 - The first main is reserved for any actor over 70+ years of age because I said so)
Christopher Gurr (Understudy/Main 2)
(In this dream cast, Gus, Bustopher, Asparagus etc. are separate characters all on their own - I would have at least two actors playing Gus since I want him to either be an older performer or actually elderly, and would not reasonably expect someone 70+ to perform however many times a week without a break, so they would swap. Extra special bonus is that Ian McKellen or Judi Dench are allowed to pop into the theatre whenever they want and play Gus as special guests, both because Ian McKellen deserves a stab at Gus on stage and I think Judi Dench would actually make an excellent gender swapped Gus the Theatre Cat)
Bustopher:
Stephen Hanan (Main)
Eric Lee Johnson (Understudy)
Jellylorum:
Leah Delos Santos (Main)
Marni Raab (Understudy) (I’d particularly like Marni *now* to play Jelly)
Admetus/Macavity:
Dainel Gaymon (Main)
Ross McDermott (Understudy)
(The parts of Admetus and Plato are played separate, with Admetus doubling as Macavity, while Plato doubles as The Rumpus Cat, more in line with original Broadway)
Demeter:
Ding Zhenying (Main)
Brenda Braxton (Understudy)
Bombalurina:
Marlene Danielle (Main)
Jacqui Boatswain (Understudy)
Victoria:
Anique Bosch (Main)
Kayoko Yoshioka (Understudy)
Jemima:
Myrthes Monteiro (Main)
Cindy Belliot (understudy)
(Jemima and Sillabub are played as seperate characters, much in line with Japan, but with Jemima still being on the younger side. I’d say on the older end of the kitten group, more in line with Tumblebrutus, while Sillabub is in the age group with Pouncival/Bill Bailey - more on that later)
Sillabub:
Lee Na-min (main)
Tracey Packham (Understudy)
(See above)
Alonzo:
Brian Steven Shaw (Main)
Ahmad Simmons (Understudy)
(Ahmad gets the official replica golden!Alonzo costume he deserves. He also covers Tugger)
Asparagus:
Philippe Ermelier (Main)
Karlis Zaid (Understudy)
Plato/Rumpus Cat:
Philip Michael Baskerville (Main)
Kenneth Ard (Understudy)
(See Admetus/Macavity)
Cassandra:
Lee Ji-eun (Main)
Lyne Tremblay (Understudy)
Coricopat:
Lucas Radziejewski (Main)
James Titchener (Understudy)
Tantomile:
Patricia Meeden (Main)
Ilona Petrash (Understudy)
Pouncival:
Phineas Newborn III (Main)
Nick Hendricks (Understudy)
(To retain a multitude of kittens/diversity of the youngin’s group, and just because I like the idea of a bigger cast, we’re yet again taking a page out of original Broadway and keeping Pouncival and Carbucketty as separate characters, with Carbucketty utilizing the London design while Pouncival gets to keep his. Pouncival is younger, while Carbucketty is a little older)
Tumblebrutus:
Randy Bettis (Main)
Jason Wise (Understudy)
(See Jemima - like Pouncival and Carbucketty, we’re going to keep both Tumblebrutus and Bill Bailey. Billy boy retains the London design, and is moreso in age group with Sillabub and Pouncival, while Tumblebrutus gets his Broadway design back and is part of the older kitten group with Jemima, Victoria, Admetus, etc.)
Bill Bailey:
Juan Carlos Verdú (Main)
Aaron Hunt (Understudy)
(See above)
Electra:
Lili Froehlich (Main)
Chiara Vinci (Understudy)
Carbucketty:
Mukeni Nel (Main)
No understudy
Etetera:
Jo Bingham (Main)
No understudy
Victor:
Steve Barton (Main)
No understudy
(I wanted Steve Barton in the cast because he was phenomenal - I already had two Munkustraps. But guess who used to cover Munkustrap? That’s right - best of all words. In the meantime, I feel like he would make a very good Victor from what I think of the character, and a good combination of both the OG Victor and the odd revival swap. Enjoy a picture of him as Munk but pretend it’s Victor)
And finally, this is a tricky one explanation wise but stay with me - if I have to cast a Growltiger (though ideally if I were to do a dream production there would be no Growltiger period unless it was just a cut performance of “Billy McCaw” or “In Una Tepida Notte” - but even then? With the negative connotation still attached to Growltiger in the original poem, I’d probably just change it to Cat Morgan and change Griddlebone to another - and neither would have anything to do with Gus and the others), it would have to be:
Growltiger/Cat Morgan/Pirate Cat Lead:
Rory Campbell (Because that note holding is fucking iconic and you cannot sway me on this)
No understudy
Griddlebone/Pirate Queen Lead:
Carrie Ellis
No understudy
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